✦ Plain-English Summary

Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) 2019

What it does

This bill updates Australia's passenger tax rules to match a new maritime treaty with Timor-Leste. It replaces references to the old "Joint Petroleum Development Area" with a new area called the "Greater Sunrise special regime area" — essentially reflecting a new boundary agreement between the two countries. The changes apply to offshore oil and gas installations in the Timor Sea.

Why it matters

The Timor Sea Treaty represents a diplomatic agreement settling long-disputed maritime boundaries with our neighbour. These technical updates ensure Australian tax and resource laws actually reflect the new arrangement on the ground, so there's no legal confusion about which installations are subject to Australian passenger charges.

Key details

• The bill removes the old "Joint Petroleum Development Area" definitions and replaces them with the new "Greater Sunrise special regime area"
• These changes only kick in once a separate related Act (the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Act 2019) also commences — so they work together as one package
• The passenger movement charge (a tax on people leaving Australia) now applies to workers on these offshore installations under the new treaty terms, starting from when this law takes effect

Official Description

Introduced with the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019 to partially implement the Treaty Between Australia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Establishing Their Maritime Boundaries in the Timor Sea (New York, 6 March 2018), the bill makes consequential amendments to the Passenger Movement Charge Act 1978 to remove references to the Joint Petroleum Development Area.

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

No votes yet.

No votes were recorded for this bill.